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Halderman's lawyer says he has evidence that David Letterman committed sexual harassment

October 6, 2009 | 1:53
pm

Gerald Shargel, a veteran criminal defense attorney who is representing the CBS producer accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman, confirmed in an interview today that he plans to argue that the late-night host committed sexual harassment if the case goes to trial.

Shargel said he has not yet received any discovery from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. “I’m doing my own independent investigation,” he said.

A spokesman for Letterman declined to comment. A spokeswoman from the district attorney's office also declined to comment.

Shargel would not say whether the evidence he has relates to Stephanie Birkitt, a longtime assistant to the comic. But the lawyer said that it’s “absolutely clear” that Birkitt -- who until recently was sharing a Connecticut home with Halderman -- had a relationship with Letterman.

Birkitt, 34, got her start on the “Late Show” as an intern in 1996 and went on to work as Letterman’s assistant after a stint at “48 Hours.” She is still with the show, according to a spokesman for Worldwide Pants, Letterman’s production company, who declined to specify her current role.

Shargel admitted that arguing that Letterman committed sexual harassment could bolster the prosecution’s case that Halderman had embarrassing information that the late-night host would have wanted to keep secret. But he said it also would support his defense.

“This is all about what Mr. Halderman’s intent was, and I think this has some relevance to his state of mind,” he said. “It’s part of a larger story that I’m not going to get into now.”

It remains to be seen whether a judge would allow Shargel to introduce such evidence. Jeremy Saland, a criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan assistant district attorney, said the issue was potentially relevant, but only if the defense could establish that Halderman was seeking the money on behalf of a victim of sexual harassment and not for his own gain. “A Manhattan Supreme Court judge will certainly distinguish between an attempt to dirty up Mr. Letterman by accusations of harassment and an attempt to establish the harassment as a basis for a valid legal defense,” Saland said.

Shargel maintains that while Halderman deposited a $2-million check from Letterman, he did not have criminal intent and is innocent of extortion. “I’m not a big fan of trying cases in the public, but I’m dealing with a situation with someone who has an unusual degree of access to the public,” Shargel said of Letterman. “He made a decision to get out ahead of the story, he made a decision to put a certain spin on the facts. All I wanted to do is get out there on behalf of my client and say, don’t rush to judgment.”